There's a Queen for Everything
by Goss
Summary: A re-telling of Cinderella. It's not your ordinary story either. It's not just a ball and marriage to a prince at stake anymore. It's a beauty pageant and you DON'T want to be first runner-up. After all, there's a queen for everything... (Please R&R)
1. Prologue

My identical twin met him at the beauty pageant. He was some wealthy supporter's son. My sister tried avoiding him because she knew I liked him. She was nice. She always was. I couldn't help blaming her a little bit for our differences though.  
  
It was no surprise Alle had attracted him to her glowing flame. It would be shining even after mother's death. Her name suited her personality perfectly. She had it all. We may have looked the same but she managed to look more stylish, pretty, funny. In short, she was better than I was. I felt left out because all my relatives were perfect. I don't know what they were like inside their homes but at every family gathering, they were able to appear so unharmed by the world around them that they stuck out majestically.  
  
I had managed to ignore the ache of jealousy long ago. I would smile and laugh when required even though I was the oddball out of all the relatives. The reason I was the family runt? I was normal and I actually had faults.  
  
Some people said it wasn't easy being perfect. The truth of the matter was that it wasn't easy being normal. Sometimes, I even wondered what it would be like if I had been the one named Alle instead of Ella. My parents had been overjoyed at the fact they had twins and they got quite a kick out of naming the oldest Ella and then reversing the order of the letters to name the younger one Alle. My rents constantly told the story of how the nurse had misunderstood them and put the word 'Ally' instead of 'Alle' on the birth certificate. Ever since my sister heard that story, she would go around telling people, "My name's pronounced Al-lee NOT All-ee," until she was the age of 10.  
  
My parents thought that that phase of her life was absolutely adorable. They had no story of me that they would tell over and over again to their friends. It was always Alle that they were bragging about. I can't say that I was ignored by our parents but she did have the better relationship with them. I always prayed to God that I would finally have a time to outshine my sister. When that time did come, I wished it hadn't.  
  
My mommy, my beautiful, wonderful, perfect mom died.  
  
Alle stayed depressed longer than my dad or I. Mom had been her role model. She started sulking around and began ignoring hygiene. Boys tried giving her presents to get her out of her mood. It didn't work and they reluctantly started leaving her alone; one by one until no more guys rang our doorbell on Friday nights.  
  
Suddenly, I was put into the spotlight because I was wrong. My relatives did have one fault. They were obsessed with being perfect. They must have the best and for that moment, I was better that Alle. For once in my life, I was the one being discussed about at the dinner table. I'm ashamed to admit it but I was happier than I'd ever been in my life. I was living for the moment. I knew that phase wouldn't last long and I was gonna milk it for every thing it was worth.  
  
Now, I realize that my mother's death didn't change me for the better. It changed me for the worse. I cared more about my looks more than ever before. Selfishness was never a problem for me until then. Before, I was literally forced to admit that Alle was better than me. How can you think of yourself in those circumstances? It was during the phase of my sister's depression when I met HIM.  
  
*~*  
  
The minute my dad told me about the pageant, I knew I had to enter it. I needed to get my sister's cooperation too. In her current state, she couldn't care less. In her current state, I might actually beat my sister at something. I might be the best instead of second best like usual. The thought thrilled me. 


	2. Chapter 1

Alle's eyes voiced their distress as my words grew meaning. "What do you mean, I HAVE to enter the beauty contest?"  
  
My identical eyes flickered over hers. I would try lying to her but she was a freaking genius compared to me. Besides, she knew all my tricks. We've known each other for too long. "Admit it, you've always been the family fav. We both know it. I've always been compared to you. You always aimed high yet you'd reach that goal. I've been in your shadow since I was born."  
  
Her body grew limp. "Well, not anymore. Enjoy your new found power, sis."  
  
"See, this is what I mean! This is the one chance I get to be crowned the city's best girl and you won't enter it for me! Do this for me, I beg of you."  
  
"I used to think like that. I used to think that beauty was all that mattered."  
  
My suppressed emotions for Alle's new emotions exploded. "What is with you? We're all feeling like crap since mom's death but you don't have to act like this. You're seventeen, not fifty six. This is your youth. Why can't you enjoy it?"  
  
Alle bit her bottom lip. "I really want to get over her death. But I can't. I really can't. We're supposed to be twins! Why don't YOU feel the same way as I do? Didn't you love mom at all?"  
  
"If the whole world thought like you, it would be the end of civilization as we know it. It's okay to grieve but not like you."  
  
Her hands gripped my shoulders. "Beauty doesn't matter. A freaking pageant doesn't either."  
  
I tried to calm down for both of us. "Do this just to make up for all the times you've made me look bad. I just want to outshine you... just once. Do you know how many times I've cried because I was always compared to you?"  
  
Her whole face showed pity for me. Why should she feel sorry for me? The family loved me better now. Me! She should feel pity for herself. Didn't she miss the spotlight at all? The wondrous feeling of knowing that you were so wonderful?  
  
"This means a lot to you."  
  
"Ya, it does. The title of Miss. Summer Fields is one thing that won't go away." I was thinking how, anytime now, Alle would start thinking about her hygiene and become Miss. Perfect again. At least I would have the tiara reminding me of the glorious moment of being crowned. Being the best was like riding a bicycle. Once you learned how to do it, you never forgot how.  
  
She tucked my hair behind my ears like she was older than me by six seconds, not the other way around. "I'll do it but I'm gonna make you learn a precious lesson that took me sixteen years to learn."  
  
I smiled, thinking I had won.  
  
*~*  
  
The big sign announced the building's intentions. This was it. I was gonna be Miss. Summer Fields, our city's beauty queen, if it killed me. I had forced Alle to spruce up her hair and wear her old clothes. In short, she looked like mom hadn't died yet. Her rueful glance showed how much this whole thing disgusted her though. I knew it was wrong of me to feel happy but I was glad for her steady course of attitude. This way, she would get into the pageant yet she was one less major competitor.  
  
I took her hand and guided her to the down the sidewalk. She quickly pulled her hand away from me. Fine with me. I let out a short wave to our dad who was chatting up with the woman who's car battery had died. He had pulled over to the side to help her. Luckily for Alle and me, the building was within walking distance.  
  
"Remember what I said about the audition?," I questioned as I looked both ways before jaywalking.  
  
Her beautiful blue eyes glared at me from beneath the bangs while she followed me. "You mean how I should become a preppy, shallow girl?"  
  
I smiled brightly, ignoring her sarcasm. We were twins. We might as well act like it. "We both know you're not like that. Just follow my lead and we'll get in."  
  
"In other words, be perfect until I get picked to be one of the contestants. After that, I should become one with the shadows?," Alle rolled her eyes.  
  
Laughing at her, I pulled open the main doors. "Something like that." I gestured inside the reception room while smiling at her. Nothing was going to ruin this moment for me. "After you m'lady."  
  
The reception room was literally crawling with chicks. The many plastic chairs that were casually littered along the emotionless white walls were all full. A lot of young girls were standing. Some had their parents supporting them. Some went for the independent woman image.  
  
Alle gave me a weird look before sobering up again. "Do you ever wonder what life would be like if mom was still alive?"  
  
My gut clenched up and I walked behind her towards the woman looking kindly at us. I answered with a non-committing, "Sometimes." Of course I knew what life would be if mom would be alive again. My role model would be alive and my entire life would still be revolving around Alle. Leave it to Alle to ruin this perfect afternoon. She was right like usual. Nothing was worth the death of mom. Nothing.  
  
"Excuse me. But we're here for the auditions," I peered at the secretary. You could tell the hair color was from a bottle. The roots were peeping up again. I didn't understand why people had to dye their hair. Most people looked better with their natural hair color anyway.  
  
"Oh yes, first fill out these forms," she gave us two clipboards with papers, "and then give them back to me. It's a first come first serve basis."  
  
"Thank you," Alle piped up before skimming through the form and taking a pen from a cup full of them. I followed her actions.  
  
The reception lady fluttered her eyelashes and grinned. "Well isn't this adorable. You're the first set of twins I've seen in a while. They're quite rare, aren't they? I haven't seen a set of identical twins in a long time."  
  
What could you say to that? The blonde had basically said everything there was to know. Did she want me to get into the scientifics of it or something? We stared at her politely. I stuck with the one word answers. "Yep."  
  
She stayed grinning. The fake blonde reminded me of one of those friends of dad... and mom who were fighting the urge to pat us on the head. Alle and I had that sort of effect on people sometimes. We looked like first rate angels with our clear blue eyes, our rosebud lips, and shiny dirty blonde hair. Add that to the fact that we were twins to boot and it was an unbeatable combination. I quickly filled in the necessary information and impatiently waited for Alle while I scanned through the possible candidates for Miss. Summer Fields.  
  
There were a variety of people. You name it and they were there. Not all of them were attractive but they had their striking qualities. Hey, it was the twenty first century. There were things beside beauty nowadays. You had be kind, smart, blah blah blah.  
  
Alle leaned towards me and whispered, "Can I put down 'I was forced to by my evil sister and father' where the form asks why I'm applying for this?"  
  
"Don't you dare."  
  
Shrugging her slim shoulders, she proceeded to answer the numerous, useless questions the stupid forms asked for. I snickered and secretly thought to myself, 'I sure hope the saying that slow and steady wins the race is true... to a certain extent anyway.'  
  
A stunning dark-skinned girl strutted out of the hallway. She shot me a dazzling, confident grin that only people used to turning heads had before walking pass us and out the doors. Shortly afterwards, a brunette stalked to the entrance with a kind if not weary expression. Reading from a clipboard, she called out, "Samantha Kinsle." I almost pitied her as I recalled the endless number of females that had come to audition for this. Apparently, the news had spread far and wide and the number of girls willing to accept the Miss. Summer Fields position was endless.  
  
Okay, never mind, I take that back. I feel more sorry for Alle and me. At least she got to interview the ladies. All my sister and I got to do was stand there and wait, and wait...  
  
Two hours had passed and I felt like I was stoned or something as I stared at the interesting floor with its interesting patterns. At that moment, I would consider myself lucky if I got a stupid chair to sit in. "Do you know what, Ella?"  
  
Startled, I glanced up at my sister's bored expression. "What?"  
  
"Now I'm determined to get in not just because of you but because they had the nerve to make me wait this long. The nerve of them! Did you know that by the time you're fifty, you've spent five years of your life waiting in lines?"  
  
I wanted to collapse onto the floor cause I was so tired but the place was so packed that I didn't even have a piece of wall to lean into. I yawned. "Really?"  
  
"Ya."  
  
All I could think about was the piece of white wall peeping temptingly out of the abundant bodies of people. I wondered if you had to stand in line to be able to lean into it. I sighed. When you reach this point of your life, it's a REALLY bad sign.  
  
"Ella Hulley?"  
  
I looked back at my sis, stifling another yawn. Was this like a survivor challenge or something? The person who could wait here the longest would win Miss. Summer Fields?  
  
Alle shrugged and pointed behind me. This boredom stuff must be REALLY REALLY getting to me if I couldn't even recognize that it wasn't my sister's voice. I slowly turned around to see the brunette clutching that familiar clipboard. I knew there was a God when I saw that. I grinned hugely. YES! FINALLY! MY TURN!  
  
Breathing a huge sigh of relief, I tried to gather myself together. Anxiety had quickly replaced the boredom. My hands turned clammy and I could feel my heart beating strongly. In truth, it was Alle who had experiences like charming tired judges. I just got by because she was my sister. Well, it was my turn and I better not ruin it.  
  
My exhausted body which was suffocating in stale air too long chose that moment to faint. 


	3. Chapter 2

"Should we take her to a hospital?," the skeptical brunette said. On closer inspection, I realized that she was slim and pretty. Maybe she was a Miss. Summer Fields of the past.  
  
I sat up and slowly stared at everyone with horror. I had ruined my one chance to outshine Alle. I hated myself.  
  
Alle patted my hand. "It's alright. They decided to let you try again after you woke up from sleep." We always knew each other the best. I looked at her gratefully.  
  
"Your sister was amazing at her audition. If you have half of what she got, you're in for sure," the lady looked admiringly at my sister.  
  
For a second, I panicked. Alle was back to her perfect self. I was too late.  
  
My tell-tale eyes showed my reaction because my sister whispered into my ears. "They're exaggerating. Don't believe them. I'll explain later." I would hold onto anything she said as long as I could just do one single thing better than her. I had spent too long in her shadows. One golden slash proclaiming me Miss. Summer Fields would be enough to sustain me until I got away from my sister and her perfection. I loved my sister more than anything else in the world. I really did. But being second best no matter how I tried compared to her easy nature was almost enough to drive me insane.  
  
It's pathetic really. I know that the title of Miss. Summer Fields wouldn't change anything but it's the small things that actually count.  
  
The brunette finally realized that I still didn't know her name and introduced herself. "Hi, my name's Ms. Carlas." She turned her glance at my sister like they had known each other for years. "Darling, can you step outside while I interview your sister?"  
  
Once again, I panicked. The old Alle HAD returned. The depressed Alle would never have charmed her so quickly. I breathed a sigh of relief that I didn't know was in me. I'd been fighting too long. I resigned. I would let Alle take her step up to the family throne as expected. If fate never wanted me to be more superior than Alle, than it would be impossible to change it.  
  
When Alle left me in the room, Ms. Carlas observed me silently. "So, tell me about yourself. Don't make it your life story though. Think of the poor ladies out there waiting," she joked.  
  
No one seemed to know my present dilemma except me and probably Alle. I was always one to try to hide my feelings. "Well, I'm in grade 12. I've wanted to be Miss. Summer Fields ever since I was young. I'm not gonna give you the big thing about 'saving world hunger' or 'peace in the world' because that would be a lie. I want it to happen but it would take more than being crowned the city's beauty queen to do it. No offense," I smiled at her wearily. I wanted to go home and cry. It seemed everything was hopeless. Maybe this depression thing was contagious.  
  
"Not at all. I found that quite refreshing actually." She smiled at her clipboard again as she wrote something down. "You have a very nice voice and you're very pretty. Do you have a talent though?"  
  
I blushed at her compliment. "Well... I can sing."  
  
"Let's hear."  
  
I took out the cd I had in my purse and handed it to her. "Number three please."  
  
I had this all prepared. It may seem like a simple song but it took me an hour to interchange it. I was going to sing the song in different languages. The song was very common and was already translated into Spanish, French, and English. Someone just had to take the time to put it together. Of course, the remaining hours had been practicing and hoping the pitch was right.  
  
When the tunes finally came on, I let the rhythm slide through me and I went with the beat. There's nothing like the feeling of singing and imagining yourself on a large stage with millions of adoring fans at your feet. I let that image send my singing from average to pretty darn good. The lyrics were wonderful and the useless language classes I had in school finally had a use.  
  
When I finished, she smiled and checked something on her clipboard. "I'll call you to keep in touch."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"You're welcome," she stated as she got up to shake my hand.  
  
I let myself out, wondering how it went. I thought it went pretty good but what actually happened was usually the exact opposite of what you thought actually happened. For example, when you thought you aced a test, you failed, and vice versa. Oh well, time would tell.  
  
The high I felt from singing immediately deflated as I saw Alle talking with some guy. More evidence to show that the old Alle was back. Guys were once again, powerless to her flame.  
  
"Hey Ella," she waved me over.  
  
The guy turned around and I almost fainted again. How could I help but remember him? He had that trademark glossy, black hair which contrasted against that striking, vampire-like pale complexion, and boundless green eyes. Not only did he make all the girls think of romance, he was smart AND athletic. Male perfection at its best.  
  
Mr. Male Perfection was known to everyone else as P. Carmen. No one knew what the 'P' stood for but there were a lot of rumors running from Phillip to Pinocchio. He was also in my junior high school. I had the most major crush on him but it never went away. Back then, I had fancied us as soul mates. Devastation had been my middle name when I found out he was being transferred to a private high school. I thought I would never see my soul mate again. Funny how I didn't laugh at myself even now. In a way, I was still in a childish sort of love with him.  
  
"Hey," he smiled that familiar dazzling smile before turning back to Alle. My eyes flickered while I noticed my crush scrawling something on a piece of paper before handing it to Alle. P. Carmen quickly made his getaway, waving his goodbyes to us. I also noticed he didn't hand ME the piece of paper. It probably contained his phone number. When he was out of hearing range, I expressed a sigh of annoyance. My sister strikes again! It wasn't like SHE liked him or anything.  
  
Alle stared at the piece of paper, shocked. I guess a change of clothes had more of an effect than we both thought. I was glad for her. Really. Yep. Really.  
  
She glanced at me before getting up to the garbage can. It took a second to register what she was about to do. Rushing to her, I grabbed at the slip of mushed up tree. "I'll take that if you don't want it."  
  
Alle shrugged, letting it go. Not like she had a choice. "So how did the audition go?"  
  
"She said she'd keep in touch," I murmured, using most of my concentration reading the note Carmen had written. I was right. It did contain his number. MY P. Carmen wanted MY sister. Irony at its best.  
  
"That's nice." She looked at me with concern. "You can keep the number if you want it that bad. I don't know what you see in him. He's too good to be true."  
  
This was spoken from a girl who only dated guys who was a '10' in appearance. I turned around, hiding the tears threatening to fall. I took a deep breath. I would not become a cry baby in front of her. "No, it's alright. You're right. You're always right. He is too good to be true." I scrunched up the phone number and shot it into the garbage can. It went in.  
  
I managed to hold in the tears although I couldn't help the fact that my eyes had a misty quality. The only question that I wanted to know was how the transformation came into place. It wasn't like she had gone to seen a shrink or whatever. Was it the environment of striking candidates? Or maybe the many compliments that were thrown at her by Ms. Carlas? Why didn't she wait another couple of months? My chance in the spotlight had been ruined. My crush liked my sister. Life was not going my way.  
  
Alle whispered to me as we walked pass the jealous glares of the remaining girls standing impatiently in the reception room. "Look, Ella. I'm still gonna give you a chance to win Miss. Summer Fields."  
  
Having her depressed had made my chance of winning this easier but it wouldn't hinder my joy at getting the queen crown. Yet having my sister purposely lose to let me win... well, that just made me feel like an absolute cheat. It's weird how your morals come in the most unexpected minutes. I could feel the pricker of tears and my mouth scrunched up as I turned away from her.  
  
"No, you deserve to win," I choked out. Self-pity was almost suffocating me. I should be used to this by now. Why was this situation so different? Oh ya, I know why. Because the taste of triumph had been so close. It had been shattered and I didn't even know why. How had she gone from the Alle who had been too devastated to even remember to use conditioner transform to the Alle EVERYONE loved?  
  
Sympathy showed on my sister's face. It was always sympathy that she showed me nowadays. "It's just the clothes. That's why everyone's treating me so differently."  
  
"Then why did Ms. Carlas praise you so much?"  
  
Alle shrugged and looked at the road for dad to pick us up. "She's just so anxious to have twins in this stupid pageant. This isn't a big town and identical twins are rare." She rubbed her arms to gain warmth in the moon- lit night. "We're gonna be like a freak-show on wheels."  
  
I ignored that. "Then why was Carmen so attracted to you?"  
  
"You mean he was P. Carmen? I knew he looked familiar."  
  
Alle had had so many males willing to be her slaves that a hunk like him had gone unnoticed. I had worshipped the ground he walked on and I was known to him as 'Alle's older sister.' It figured.  
  
"Look, guys like him like a hard challenge. He probably remembered me as the only girl who didn't think of him as God's gift to all women." She peered at me. "You can have him if you want. I don't wanna feel like playing the cat and mouse game with guys now anyway."  
  
Why wasn't I grateful for my sister's leftovers? I opened my mouth to state another pitying statement when my previously well-tempered sister exploded.  
  
"Look Ella. I'm not stupid. I've been trying to humour your little phase through life but enough is enough."  
  
My eyes were wide-open. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I know this is more than just a 'I wanna be better than my sister' thing. It goes beyond that. I know what I am right now. I know what mom's death has done to me. I'm not exactly stupid you know. It wasn't just a coincidence that you chose this exact time to question the all-important question of which sister is better. You chose it because you KNEW you'd win with the present state I'm in. You WANT me to be depressed."  
  
She was right. I wanted to bow my head down like a kid who had disobeyed her parents. "I'm sorry."  
  
Alle shook her head. "Look sis, I understand why you're doing this. I would do it too if I was in your position. Manipulation runs in our genetics pool."  
  
"Are you mad?"  
  
She rubbed her temples. "I really don't know what to think. I should be angry since you're obviously trying to use me to make you feel good about yourself. But I'm not because I have to admit that it wasn't easy being you while we were growing up. I hogged a lot of the spotlight."  
  
Wow, I was impressed. She seemed so wise now, not just depressed. "Alle?"  
  
"Ya?"  
  
"Can you teach me some of that wisdom?"  
  
Alle smiled and hugged me. "If anyone can make them feel better about themselves, it's you."  
  
I hugged her back tightly and looked beyond her shoulders. "Does that mean you're not depressed anymore?"  
  
"Kinda, healing of the soul doesn't happen overnight."  
  
"How did it even start?"  
  
Alle released me and huddled her arms again to keep in the warmth. "I think it was when you fainted. I thought you had died or something. It made me realize how much I would miss you. I guess I decided right then and there that sulking around didn't help anyone."  
  
I smiled. "Good. Because I still want to do this Miss. Summer Fields thing. Only now, I'm gonna have some REAL competition from you. And I'm gonna win."  
  
My sister looked straight at me with the exact same face that looked at me in the mirror everyday... the half of me. "You sure are confident."  
  
"Oh ya, definitely."  
  
"You realize that I'm not gonna let you win anymore, right?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
We laughed evilly at each other. This was some clear ground that I was used to. Some nice, simple sibling rivalry. 


End file.
